Is it possible to load an external swf at a specific frame?

Hey! I've got a flash file which acts as the main menu for a
program I'm developing. Everything works fine from the main menu
however when you click to return to the main menu the whole main
menu file reloads. Is it possible to use loadMovieNum( ) to go to a
specific frame within the main swf file? If not, is there a way to
do this?
Here's the button code I'm using now:
on (release) {
unloadMovieNum(0); //unloads the current movie so we can
reload the main menu
loadMovieNum("DemoMainMenu.swf", 0); //reloads the main menu
Thank you for whatever help you can provide! :)

mcommini wrote:
> Hey! I've got a flash file which acts as the main menu
for a program I'm
> developing. Everything works fine from the main menu
however when you click to
> return to the main menu the whole main menu file
reloads. Is it possible to
> use loadMovieNum( ) to go to a specific frame within the
main swf file? If
> not, is there a way to do this?
First let me clarify one thing with you. Level zero is the
main level on the flash
player. By loading things in level zero you will remove
current content and replace
it with the new one. This is not a good idea because it works
like purge, clears the
player and from there on you can't maintain any functionality
unless you reload the
whole html document over again. Also, do not unload and load
in the same time in the
same level. Flash can hold single SWF per level, once you
load content, whatever previously
loaded will be automatically replaced, so just the loadMovie
action and you all set.
Good practice is to have the main level (zero) an empty base
and than load and unload
things in above levels, 1 and so on...
> Here's the button code I'm using now:
> on (release) {
> unloadMovieNum(0); //unloads the current movie so we can
reload the main menu
> loadMovieNum("DemoMainMenu.swf", 0); //reloads the main
menu
> }
>
In regard to the load and go to. Yes it is possible but no
matter what frame you want to
go to,you need to load the whole movie first. I will come
back to that in a second.
While you execute the loadMovie action, you can set up a
variable, for example:
loadMovieNum("file.swf", 1);
Variable="mcommini_01";
Than in the loaded movie you have preloader which makes sure
that the movie is loaded before
playing and once done loading, make it jump to frame which
has IF ELSE condition in some kind
of loop, using setInterval or Enterframe. That condition
checks for the variable value and based
on it proceed to particular frame.
That's why I told you not to clear level zero, if you set
variable and load movie in that level
in the same time, all the information will be gone and you
have totally no reference point to
get the variable from.
You could as well use shared object which is native form of
Flash's cookies. Write SOL file into
user drive temp folder, than read it from the other file and
go to frame based on the given value.
Best Regards
Urami
Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder...
<urami>
If you want to mail me - DO NOT LAUGH AT MY ADDRESS
</urami>

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What is or isn't possible on iOS? (Not having Loader, loadBytes(), external swfs, etc)

My basic question is: "What are the classes which we should not use for iOS using the packager."
I have been trying for a few days trying to get a simple Flash app to run on the iPad. A very simple app (with sound!) with just 2 classes works fine (Performance is a whole other issue. We will get to that). But if I try anything else, all I get is a white/black screen on the iPad. So it would be really nice to know what classes, functions, etc we CANNOT use for the Packager.
I have fairly simple app (not as simple as 2 classes) which loads some art assets via URLRequest/Loader, puts them on the stage. Fairly common standard practice in AS3.
I've read about not able to load an external file using the Packager. So to fix the situation of loading assets, I have looked into the [embed] tag, which seems to work. I hope the blogger doesn't mind, but this page is an excellent source on what works and doesn't work with the [embed] tag in it's various flavors: http://www.richardleggett.co.uk/blog/index.php/2010/03/08/flash_builder_and_flash_pro_asse t_workflows. For example, AS3 in a swf is stripped out from an external swf using [embed].
The best way to load an external swf file for iOS seems to be using [embed] with "application/octet-stream" and load the swf through ByteArray (Option #4 in the link above). This works great on the PC. HOWEVER, on iPad, it fails. The [embed] tag works on the iPad with the other ways, so my guess is that loadBytes() does not work. Is this true Adobe/Flash guys? Can you confirm this?
My initial question is "why is this not allowed on iOS?". If it is because of the fact that it uses a Loader, can it be changed so it's not using a Loader to construct a MovieClip? I have a ByteArray with the raw swf/MovieClip data. Why can't I construct a MovieClip from it without going through Loader?
This loadBytes() failure seems to be the only thing preventing me from using the normal pipeline of Flash development in loading external assets. If there are other ways people have found, please share!
Now on to performance. Adobe, can you post some examples/samples of code which runs at decent performance? Like a "tech demo" of what is possible using the Packager running on iPad/iPhone. That would be extremely helpful for everyone. I have done a lot of the optimizing suggestions on various sites and pages ( and by Adobe http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/articles/optimize_content_ios.html), but I am not seeing the 30 fps performance that is MORE than possible on iPhone/iPad. Displaying and moving around Bitmaps (I don't use any vector graphics) should be blazing fast. Quake runs on iPad without any problems and that code is 10 years old. Moore's law dictates that drawing Bitmaps using CPU should be faster than a 3D engine written 10 years ago... I am trying out the new iOS 4.2 which is supposed to be "significantly" better, but I am still stuck on loadBytes().
So at this point, I am blocked on loadBytes() and my performance for a simple app which draws a few Bitmaps and MovieClips is terrible. I am hopeful some people out there have figured out some solution (there are lots of clever people out there) and I will stumble on to something. But being forced to go native Objective-C seems to be my only option at this point.
In summary, here are the questions I would like to ask the Adobe/Flash group for some more help/information/advise:
- Why is Loader not allowed on iOS? Is it a technical limitation of the hardware/os/Flash? Will it never be supported? What is the future of this class on iOS?
- Why is loadBytes() not allowed on iOS? I have the raw embedded data in memory. I don't need to make a remote call so security should not be an issue. Can I create a MovieClip without using Loader?
- Why is AS3 stripped from the timeline when a Symbol is retrieved using [embed]? Maybe this is the same reason loadBytes() fails, but if I could use [embed] and get a copy of the Symbol, that is what I need. (There are issues with the mx.core.MovieClipLoaderAsset/Asset, but it is better than being blocked by loadBytes())
- What are some apps you guys have written that we can use to compare PC vs iOS? Again, a "tech demo" or sample code of what you as experts in Packager for iOS have done which runs at decent framerate (30+fps) would be of tremendous help. If the Adobe/Flash group hasn't gotten the current Packager for iOS to handle more than 50+ 2D Bitmaps on screen running at 30+fps, that would be good to know. Please let us know what the experts and owners of your software are capable of getting the most throughput using the Packager. I'd hate to sound a bit fed up/angry, but I think you are wasting a lot of people's time and energy with a piece of software that, to me, seems like it was a bit early to release. Flash can do some great things. If it can do it on iOS, even better. But PROVE it to us that it's possible, before having your customers run into barriers imposed on us by trial and error.
Thanks.

I have hardly ever seen a post here from someone at Adobe, so you may need to be patient.
Read this article, and get its associated demo files, to see some good performing tech demos:
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/articles/optimize_content_ios.html
Back to your main point, loaders are working, what isn't working for you is accessing of things in the library of a successfully loaded swf, that have been set to Export for ActionScript. That means that the swf you have loaded has an ActionScript Class, to represent the library symbol. iOS Flash apps are native ARM code, and don't include the virtual machines that a browser plugin has, and so it's not able to interpret ActionScript. That may be why it would fail.
Now, I can think of at least a couple of reasons why you might want to have external swfs with elements that you want to reuse in the main swf. One would be if you're intending to make a lot of them, like say if you wanted to have an Asteroids game and the ability to use artwork from a set of different swfs. Another reason might be if you want to skin your interface, by taking specific elements from the loaded swf and using them in the main swf. That way you could have artists preparing those swfs for you, and you just include them in your package, and load the one you want.
There is a way to do either of those things. The second one can be done by having the item as a named symbol on the stage of the loaded swf. With a to-be-loaded swf named "inner.swf", that has a movieclip on its stage named "mc1", this script in the main swf would load that external swf and use its symbol on the main swf's stage, without having to make the inner swf's symbol use ActionScript:
var req:URLRequest = new URLRequest("inner.swf");
var ldr:Loader = new Loader();
ldr.contentLoaderInfo.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE,loaded);
ldr.load(req);
function loaded(e:Event) {
var mc:MovieClip = e.target.content as MovieClip;
var innermc:* = mc.mc1;
innermc.x = 50;
innermc.y = 50;
addChild(innermc);
For the other case, you can take the item off the stage of the loaded swf and draw it into a bitmapdata, and then make as many bitmaps from that as you like. Here's the above example, only it adds the original movieclip to the main swf stage, and also creates a bitmap that looks the same:
var req:URLRequest = new URLRequest("inner.swf");
var ldr:Loader = new Loader();
ldr.contentLoaderInfo.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE,loaded);
ldr.load(req);
function loaded(e:Event) {
var mc:MovieClip = e.target.content as MovieClip;
var innermc:* = mc.mc1;
innermc.x = 50;
innermc.y = 50;
addChild(innermc);
var bmd:BitmapData = new BitmapData(innermc.width,innermc.height);
bmd.draw(innermc);
var bm:Bitmap = new Bitmap(bmd);
bm.x = 150;
bm.y = 150;
addChild(bm);
So, the thing to learn is that a native ARM code application does not have an ActionScript interpreter in it, and if you need to do something that normally requires interpreting ActionScript, find another way to do it.

Loading an external SWF from an external SWF

Hello,
I'm somewhat caught between a rock and a hard spot on a flash
site project. Here is the situation:
I have created a parent movie (which loads all external SWFs
inside of it) that has the menu navigation built into it. However,
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Elijah

Hello,
Thank you for replying. Here is exactly what I'm needing to
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Elijah
CODE:

Loading external Swf into a specific area in Fla file

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l.load(new URLRequest("Fuggles Brasserie Restaurant4.swf"));
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Cheers
t

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function done(e:Event):void
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     percent = null;
     l.x = someX;
     l.y = someY;
     addChild(l);

How can I load an external SWF into a movie clip that's inside other movie clip?

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I creating my first flash (actionscript 3.0) website but I'm
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load the requested content and return to the stage.
The sliding window is a movie clip with 83 frames, 21 to
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quote:
TypeError: Error #1009: Cannot access a property or method of
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Hi,
Recently, I have been putting together a flash presentation.
And I am just wondering if the following might help you, in your
communication with the said swf file:
loader.contentLoaderInfo.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE,
onComplete);
function onComplete(event:Event):void
event.target.content.thinggy_mc.y -= 100;
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will have an answer ;)
Kind Regards,
Boxing Boom

How to load and unload more than one external swf files in different frames?

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I am Arabic language teacher, and I design an application to teach Arabic, I just would like to learn how to load and unload more than one external swf files in different frames.
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FAQ: How do I load an external SWF file into a parent SWF file?

A ton of Flash users visit Adobe’s we site every month wondering about how to load an external SWF file from within another SWF.
Adobe's own TechNote on the subject attempts to answer the basic question, along with some common follow-up questions, including:
How do I load more than one SWF?
How do I load a SWF into a specific location in the display list?
How do I resize the loaded SWF?
How do I set its X and Y location?
Here are some additional resources that elaborate on loading content and on working with the display list:
Sample files for the above TechNote. A set of 3 FLA and 3 corresponding SWF files, including a parent SWF and 2 SWFs that the parent loads.
Help > AS3 Developer’s Guide > Loading an external SWF file
Help > AS3 Developer’s Guide > Loading display content dynamically
Loading multiple external SWFs within a main SWF – CreativeCow.net forums
Video tutorial: ActionScript 101 – Episode 6: Adding named objects to the Stage. By Doug Winnie. An example of how to add the loaded external asset to the Stage and modify its location or other properties.
Video tutorial: Preloading in ActionScript 3.0. By Lee Brimelow. A slightly more complicated example, showing how to make the parent SWF display information about the progress of loading the external SWF.
Tutorial: Loading and unloading SWFs - FlashAndMath.com
This article provides several examples of how to communicate between a parent SWF file and the loaded SWF:
SWF to SWF Communcation via ActionScript 3.0 (by kglad)

quote:
Originally posted by:
NedWebs
You now seem to want to get rid of the swf once it has loaded
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following might work...
MovieClip(this.parent).removeChild(this);
Unfortunately I couldn't get this to work. I placed it on the
last frame of the SWF to be called - is that right?
I am not sure I am doing it correctly...

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I'm not very proficient in Flash, so any help will be greatly appreciated. I'm trying to load an external SWF with the following code:
T1_Bttn_BloodCar.onRelease = function() {
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I have attempted to use the same Loader but it doesnt replace it i dont know why.
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var myLoaderMain:URLRequest = new URLRequest("main1.swf");
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var myLoaderAnimation:URLRequest = new URLRequest("athens_animation.swf");
var myLoaderVideo:URLRequest = new URLRequest("videogallery.swf");
videogallerybtn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, videoFunc);
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function AnimationFunc(curEvt:MouseEvent) {
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Loading an external swf with a loader

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It isn't creating it on the fly.
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The AS I used that worked before I made a separate .swf and
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on(release) {
_parent._parent._parent.photos_MC.gotoAndPlay("img1");
what I thought would work was:
on(release){
_parent._parent._parent.myLoader.contentPath =
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would appreciate it!

This looks like AS2 code, you may want to post there.
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Loading an external swf with coordinates

I am using a simple loadMovieNum("movie2.swf",1); to load an
external swf into my current swf (movie1). I would like to position
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coordinates, but I am not sure where to start. Any help would be
appreciated.

It isn't creating it on the fly.
Insert a new symbol and give it the instance name
placeholder_mc. Drag that onto your timeline and scale it so that
it is the exact same size as your external swf. Then just align the
empty movie clip on the stage where you want to align the external
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loadMovie("external.swf",_root.placeholder_mc);
This just tells it "Okay, take this external flash file, and
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Loading an external swf as a different size?

Hello - this seems like it would be pretty easy, but I couldn't figure it out from searching through Flash's help documentation.
I'm using Flash CS3 and AS2.0. I'm using the loadMovie function to load an external swf into an empty movieclip. The problem is that the external swf is bigger than the frame I am loading it into, so I'd like to load it in with specific width/height parameters (basically load it in and scale it down).
What would be the loadMovie command to do that with?
Thanks!!!

You need to wait for the movie to load before you can change its size. To know that the movie is loaded you want to use the MovieClipLoader.loadClip method instead of loadMovie. The loadClip method supports having an evemt listener so that you can know when the file is loaded and ready to use. If you look up the MovieClipLoader.addListener method in the help docs, there is an example there that should get you thru most of it. It uses an onLoadInit event listener which is what you'll want to use since you need to wait for the swf file to be loaded and ready for use before you try to affect it.

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Thanks!

just load your external swf using the loader class. what you described doing is standard stuff and nothing special needs to be done.
however, you must wait until loading is complete before you can access the loaded object's width and height.

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thanks GWD!
I am using the unloadMovieNum(); command, i have loaded the
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Is it possible to load an external swf at a specific frame?

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